Concert to honor pastor’s anniversary

April 11, 2012

On April 15 Starbrick Community Church, 168 Weiler Rd., will have a special concert with "Spiritual Road" featuring Carolyn Richards and Dave Butcher. The concert will be at 10 a.m. in the special worship service celebrating Pastor Don Wells' 40th anniversary as pastor of the church and to dedicate the new remodeled sanctuary. There will be a church dinner following the service. Those attending the dinner should take a tureen to share and their place setting.

"Spiritual Road" is an operating identity for Dave Butcher and Carolyn Richards as they present their musical programs. The goal of their concert is for saving souls and helping people to trust God more.

Dave and Carolyn love spreading God's love and messages to the world. Both are award-winning artists. They have been featured on several local and national TV shows including The Jimmy Snow Show, Music City Gospel Music Showcase, The Master's Music, and more. Richards is a national, and internationally known recording artist who started out singing country music at the jams her parents held each weekend at her childhood home.

She has been nominated for several awards after releasing six songs to radio. Two gospel songs were in the top ten on national charts (number six and number seven). Glory Train Express magazine listed Carolyn as the number five most played overseas gospel artist for two months in a row. That included traditional, southern, bluegrass and country styles of gospel music. An independent organization listed her in the top three percent of country vocalists worldwide, number 96 of more than 3500.

Butcher is a lay speaker and author of the book "Handling Strife In Your Spiritual Life - Ideas to help you make it through your life". He spent several years as a young man living as if there were no God. After a spiritual experience at the age of 25, his life changed dramatically. His testimonies may regard gambling, alcohol, lying, stealing and cheating from those early years. He may also speak of the blessings and miracles he and Carolyn have experienced over the years.

Career highlights include Carolyn co-hosting the Country Gospel Music Association's 2005 International Golden Heart Awards Show with once famous "Mercy" singer James Marvell. It was during that show that Dave was elected "2005 International Reciter of the Year" and awarded his first Golden Heart. In August of 2006 Carolyn was elected "New Female Artist of the Year" by her peers at the CGMA Eastern USA convention. She does not usually care to receive awards, but was honored by this one.

Dave was elected "Reciter of the Year" for four years in a row 2005-2008, and "Lyricist of the Year" for two years, 2007-2008, by the Eastern USA division of the CGMA. Dave and Carolyn have met and performed with many of the stars of country and gospel music, from Brooks & Dunn, Merle Haggard, and Bill Anderson, to Barbara Fairchild.